I have been posting a lot in the last week about serious topics and determined it’s time for something a little more lighthearted. I’ve been thinking about food more than normal this last week and realized it would be a great 365 Daily Challenge post: How many of my online friends consider themselves a foodie? By true definition, I’m probably not your typical foodie. I don’t stay up on all the latest trends. I don’t try to get reservations at all the hottest new restaurants. I don’t watch many modern cooking shows anymore. I used to watch Top Chef, and then my friends who put me in challenges with mystery baskets — they love to test me all the time! But… truth be told… I LOVE food. I spend so much time thinking about food, what I should eat, what I want to cook, what I know how to cook, what’s healthy for me and what will likely put me in an early grave if I don’t stop obsessing over it.

I’ve posted before about being culinary and healthy. I won’t repeat myself here, but rather talk about how I approach my love of food, what I try to do in terms of balancing out the good and the bad, and then pose some questions to everyone else.

Let’s cover my weaknesses first. In no particular order, the foods and beverages I find myself always in the mood for include: champagne, coffee, wine, Jack Daniels & ginger ale, cheese, chocolate, cake, pastries, bagels, bread and oil or butter, sushi, steak tartare, filet mignon, guacamole, ceviche, chimichurri sauce, pizza and nuts. If I could make those my meals every day, I’d be a very happy guy. My heart might give out earlier than I’d like. My clothes would no longer fit. And I’d probably have very little energy to do anything besides sit on the couch. Probably not a good idea in the end, right?

So I compromise. I figure out how to add in fruits and vegetables. I throw in some protein shakes as meal replacements. I drink tons of water. I cut back during some meals so I don’t over-indulge. It’s all about balance for me. I won’t ever stop myself from eating and drinking the things I love. But I certainly can’t let myself just go at it 24/7. I’ve never been violent, but I will fight you for the last piece of something when it’s sitting on a plate taunting us both. And don’t even think you’ll win. When it comes to food, no one comes between me and my mouthwatering desires.

I’ve been trying to manage my dessert-eating and my drinking over the last few years. Not because I have a problem, but because when that good old metabolism monster decides it’s no longer gonna work FOR you and instead now work AGAINST you, I can’t imbibe and consume like I previously could without noticing the little paunch it gives me in return as a genuine thank you for the lovely tasting liquor or sugar… a few rules I’ve given myself from time to time:

5 drinks per week whenever you want, but re-start on Mondays

Drink anything on Saturday and Sunday, but nothing weekdays

1 drink per day maximum

Drink only when home, not when out at meals

Desserts only on weekends

Dessert every other day

Only homemade desserts, nothing bought already prepared

And to make matters worse, on Sundays, the other half and I watch a TV show called “The Great British Baking Show.” If you’ve never seen it, you are missing out. 12 bakers. 10 weeks. 3 challenges each week from pastry to bread to pie to cake to pudding. Always delicious. And then I try to make something from the show all the time. My cherry cake came out fantastic. Let’s not discuss what may have gone wrong with the Swiss roll tho… talk about having a:

Sometimes my foodie battle works. Sometimes it doesn’t. But the problem is always apparent when I see these wonderful foods and beverages. I love the way they taste, look, smell, sound and feel. I need them. They need me. I want to understand how it was made. I want to try to make it myself. I want to see different versions. Different colors. Different flavors. Being together is such a perfect harmonic blend. And that’s why I am a foodie. Because it’s not just that I want to eat it and have a momentary bit of happiness… I connect with my food. We have a special relationship. We challenge each other to be better. How bad does that sound? Yikes…

Some days I go all day without eating much. I’ll drink lots of water. I might have a small piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. I’ve always approached food more as a eat when I’m hungry rather than you must have “x” meals per day and because it’s 12, it’s time for lunch. No… whether right or wrong, I let my body tell me when it needs nourishment. But if I start thinking about food, or I see food, my body says “You are hungry, Jay. Those macarons look delicious. Please feed 12 to me.” And who would seriously argue with that voice… it’s somewhere between Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, Astro from The Jetsons and Scooby Doo.

Anyways… I’m a foodie. Are you a foodie? Tell me about your relationship with food. For instance:

Do you get up in the middle night out of bed to eat something?

I don’t. Once in bed, I stay in bed.

Do you have to eat the whole sleeve of cookies once it’s opened?

I do. Any other way is wrong.

When you go out to eat, is the primary purpose to splurge?

Yes. I need two (2) of everything.

Do you have a drink with meals at home?

I do. It helps the food go down more easily. Especially bubbles.

Do you make the foods you see when out or on TV simply to determine if you can do a better job?

I do. I’m competitive, remember? And except for that darn Swiss Roll, nothing gets the better of me. @#$%! Swiss Rolls… Stupid cream that bled all over. Looked like a bloody mess. And the plastic stuck everywhere. #$#@$#$

RECOMMENDED BLOGGER

Today’s 365 Daily Challenge recommended blogger to know is Mischenko @ ReadRantRock&Roll. The only reason I connect her with my post today for Foodie is because we’ve had several chats about the foods we love and how hard it is to ensure we balance the healthy and the decadent. And though I could have connected her with so many of my 365 posts, I wanted to get her name out there sooner rather than later. We first connected nearly 6 months ago on Goodreads through our commonly shared book interests. We’d been reading some of the same books and looking at each other’s reviews. I can’t remember which one of us took the first step in connecting our e-friendships, but I’m glad it happened. One day, we stumbled across each other on WordPress, too. She shares a book review site with a friend but also has her own site. I have two sites also, and somehow, I think we didn’t realize we sorta knew each other on here, then got connected everywhere. Her site is full of amazing content when it comes to books, but she also has a special focus on children’s stories and healthy lifestyle choices. We’ve bonded over inspirational posts, protein shake and juice meal replacements and how to organize our days. Some day, we will meet in person… She’s someone great to follow, so please check out her personal blog and site.

About Me & the “365 Daily Challenge”

I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.

The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.

Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

I’m a foodie! Well my husband and I both are foodies. If someone tells us we need to try a restaurant we do. I don’t eat in the middle of the night. I’m either reading or sleeping and when I’m reading I only make enough time to eat something fast and pee and then back to the book. We’re big cranberry and ginger beer drinkers. Other than that, water. We’re plain Janes. I don’t watch food intake. I probably should but my metabolism is simply too high so I’m always eating. I definitely don’t incorporate enough fruit in my diet so I’ve been trying to think of ways to do that besides smoothies and oatmeal. You should watch Chef’s Table on Netflix. I think you would thoroughly enjoy that show!

A fellow foodie! Yes, I love all the things you listed, with the exception of sweets. I’m not at all a sweets person, which is just as well, because I’d likely weigh 800 pounds if I did. My weaknesses are savory, and I love wine. So I compromise by not eating any cheese during the week, walking 2.5 miles each weekday and no white bread, white rice, white pasta or white potatoes except on very rare occasions. It helps having rules and structure when it comes to food, especially those of us who LOVE it so much.!

I love food. I love to cook. I love to eat. I watch food network star and master chef and British baking (though the episodes are still on DVR so sssh until I catch up!) I love trying new restaurants and will wait on line for food if it’s good! I have lists of places I want to try!

James, what a great post! Thanks for mentioning me too. ❤ I could literally take over your post here talking about my relationship with food, lol. I won't do it. 🙂 I'll talk about it very soon though. Once again, you have my mind turning. I have to admit that it's nice to hear that other people have issues saying "no" to food too, not that it's a good thing, but just that I'm not alone. 🙂 Thank you ♡

I know I keep saying this, but this post WAS one of your best! It made me think about my on-going relationship with food (in all the various aspects) and helped me think more about what I eat. I think you have what it takes (and some of your commenters do to) to achieve balance between loving food for the eating sake and loving it for the sake of fun and appreciation. Great post!

I love this post. I consider myself the same kind of foodie so this resonates with me. I don’t go to the fancy new restaurants but when I am out and have a meal I really like, I often try to recreate it at home. Chimichurri sauce is one of my faves to take steak and potatoes to the next level.
And I don’t drink a lot so it allows me to eat more.
I like watching Top Chef, Chopped, and some of the places that Guy Fieri visits on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives have made me want to go on a road trip. Earlier this year, I went to one of his features in VA and had one of the best burgers ever.